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SEEMON 



SUGGESTED BY THE ASSASSINATION OF 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 



PREACHED IN THE WESTMINSTER CHURCH, TROVIDENC E, R. 1. 



Sunday, April IG, 1865, 



AUGUSTUS WOODBURY 




PROVIDENCE. 

SIDNEY S. BIDER AND BROTHER 
1865. 



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WUt ^m of ®0tf mlUtU tft^ §mA to iil^. 



SEEMOISr 

SUGGESTED BY THE ASSASSINATION OF 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 

PREACHED m THE WESTMINSTER CHURCH, PROVIDENCE, R. I., 

Sunday, Apkil 16, 1865, 

BT 

AUGUSTUS WOODBUET. 




PEOVIDENCE: 

SIDNEY S. RIDER AND BROTHER. 
1865. 




e:^ 



Knowles, Anthony & Co., Peinters. 



At a meeting of the Westminster Congregational Church and 
Society, held April 16th, 1865, the following resolutions were unani- 
mously adopted:— 

Resolved, That, as members of the "Westminster Congregational 
Church and Society, in common with our loyal fellow citizens, and 
our fellow Christians of every name, we would hereby express our 
profound and heartfelt grief for the sad event, which, by the hand of 
an assassin, has deprived th« na,tion of its honored and beloved 
President. 

Resolved, That we will cherish the memory of Abraham Lincoln as 
that of a good, true and just man, an honest and sagacious statesman, 
a wise and humane ruler, and a faithful servant of the Most High God, 
in promoting the welfare of the children of men. 

Resolved, That we hereby pledge and consecrate ourselves anew to 
the unwearied support of the great principles of liberty and justice, 
for the sake of which the President has fallen a sacrifice, until every 
vestige of barbarism, injustice and slavery shall have disappeared 
from our country, and the land shall enjoy her peace. 

Resolved, That we ofter our cordial sympathy to the family of our 
deceased ruler, in their severe affliction, and earnestly pray that God, 
in his infinite mercy, will give them consolation in their bereavement, 
and that the truths of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will be 
their stay and comfort. 

Resolved, That the Church in which we worship be appropriately 
draped for the space of three months, as a slight token of our sorrow, 
and a mark of respect for the memory of our departed Chief Magis- 
trate. 

Seth Padelford, President. 

William B. Daet, Secretary. 



SERMON 



Tlie hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice 
of the Son of God ; and they that hear shall live. — John y, 25. 

Two interpretations of this passage have been given. 
The advocates of the theory of the resurrection of the 
body are disposed to find, in the language, a warrant 
for their belief, confirmed by the words of the 28th 
verse : " The hour is coming in the which all that are 
in the graves shall hear his voice, and come forth." 
Those who believe that the Gospel of Christ is per- 
forming a spiritual work in the hearts and souls and 
lives of men ; that Christ speaks the word which calls 
those who were dead in trespasses and sins to a life of 
righteousness and virtue ; that the soul has its resurrec- 
tion ; that the spirit of man is to be endued with 
power to break its bonds, and rise into newness of life 
when it hears the Divine Word, regard the language 
as strengthening them in their faith. The words, 
"All that are in the graves shall hear his voice" — 
are but a repetition of the same thought, expressed in 
stronger and more emphatic terms. The Divine Word 
has such exceeding power, as to call up from death to 
life not only those that were dead, but those also who 
were buried. If they had done good, they should 
1* 



receive resurrection unto life. If they had done evil, 
they should be condemned by the enlightened con- 
science of mankind, and by the just judgments of God ! 
When Jesus cam'e and taught his truths. He lighted 
up the darkness of the world, applied new principles to 
the conduct of men, awoke those that were asleep, and 
called the dead to life ! 

Consider then, first, what that which we call death, 
is — that familiar, yet mysterious event. It is, in its 
most obvious aspect, the cessation of bodily activity. 
The body, at its death, returns to its original dust. It 
moulders away. It enters into the soil in which it is 
buried, or, if it be burned, it is turned to ashes. St. 
Paul, who rarely uses language incorrectly, has ex- 
pressed the exact truth, when he speaks of this '' earthly 
tabernacle " as being " dissolved." The word which he 
employs means to " disband," to " dismiss," to " dis- 
unite." It is as though the spirit had dismissed the 
body as of no farther use. The connection was forever 
dissolved. There was no more union between the two. 
The body and the spirit had done with one another. 
They needed not to act together any longer. Is it 
possible that, after the lapse of uncounted ages, these 
original elements are to be again combined, are to have 
the gift of immortality bestowed upon them, and are to 
be re-united as a body to the renewed spirit ? What 
then, meanwhile, is the spirit to be engaged in ? Is it 
to be unconscious and inert, with no vital power, wait- 
ing for that final day, when all things earthly will come 
to an end ? Is it then to take upon itself the body 
which it had lost so long ago ? Must it be compelled 
to delay all active life, all enjoyment of the bliss of 
Heaven, the praise of God, the loving service of man, 



the sublime duties of the heavenly life, vmtil it can 
again secure the body which once it had ? Is Heaven 
to be a place of silence and Hell a solitude, until the 
last great day ? . It certainly derogates and detracts 
largely from our ideas of the power of the spirit to 
believe, that the blessed life and the grand attainments 
of Heaven are dependent upon the re-union with the 
spirit of the body which was its feeble instrument dur- 
ing its brief sojourn on the earth. Whatever some 
among the Apostles may have thought, I doubt if 
Jesus or Paul ever believed or ever taught any such 
doctrine. 

St. Paul taught a resurrection, not of a natural, but 
of a spiritual body. The natural body would die and 
return to the dust. It would fall away, like the husk 
or outer shell of the seed. But the principle of life, the 
spirit, would rise out of that decay, and ascend up on 
high, wearing the spiritual body. What was that 
body ? It was the form which the spirit would take 
upon itself, which, indeed, it would produce from itself, 
shaping itself according to the proportions, the quality, 
the attainments, the power of the spirit. " There are 
celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial." What particu- 
lar form the spirit will take from out of the infinite 
variety of the Divine mind, it is not for me or any 
other person to say. But, I think, that there can be 
no difficulty in believing, that the predominating facul- 
ties of the spirit will make their own forms ; that the 
spiritual body will be shaped according to the produc- 
tiveness of the spirit in beauty, goodness and virtue. 
If the spirit of a man or woman is vicious, vile and 
wicked, it will assume a corresponding form. If it is 
faithful, true, lovely in its consecration to things beau- 



8 

tiful and divine, it will clothe itself In the beautiful 
garments of the heavenly life. Perhaps, as sometimes 
happens, the noble and beautiful soul is here allied to a 
deformed, decrepit, ungainly body. But, in the spirit- 
ual world, it will take upon itself its native grace, 
nobility and beauty. The spiritual body will be the 
form of the spirit. Shall we, by such means, recognize 
our friends ? Most certainly we shall, and much more 
readily, it seems to me, than though w^e took again the 
bodies that now we have. For what is it that we love 
to recognize in our friends here ? Is it not the innate 
grace and virtue that shine out of the eyes and give 
expression to the face, and illuminate every feature of 
of the countenance ? Who are our friends indeed ? 
Are they not those, with whom we have most affinity 
in thought, temper and spirit ? Do we chose them for 
their outward or their inward beauty ? Do we know 
them, except as we know the character of their minds 
and souls ? How can we recognize them in Heaven, 
except through the medium of their high spiritual 
qualities ? The beauty of the soul which here attracted 
our admiration and love, will be more attractive still 
in the heavenly life, and will draw us more closely to 
its love. Do we need the medium of the body to be 
thus again united ? Plaving a " house not made with 
hands," " a building of God eternal in the heavens," 
we certainly shall not sigh to occupy again *' the 
earthly house of this tabernacle" which has been once 
"dissolved." 

I am aware that there is a difficulty in understanding 
this truth, because of our liability to carry into our 
thoughts of the heavenly life, the same ideas which we 
have respecting the functions of the body and the spirit 



here. The body is, here, the instrument of the spirit. 
We are in communication with each other through the 
medium and by means of the senses. We speak to, 
hear, and see each other, and we cannot understand 
how otherwise we can do our proper work in the world. 
But I do not think that we are justified in carrying the 
same ideas into our communication with one another, 
in the world to come. We know nothing about our 
methods of intercourse there. But, presuming that they 
will be the same there as here, we have scarcely made 
the attempt to ascertain what they really are, and have 
contented ourselves in the belief, that we shall require the 
same sensuous medium; and so many have hoped, and 
have believed, indeed, that the body will have its res- 
urrection, and be rendered incorruptible and immortal. 
What methods of intercourse the Divine love will be- 
stow upon us, in the heavenly life, we cannot tell. We 
would not, indeed, assume to be able to determine. 
But we can well believe, that they will be such as will 
conduce most effectually to our highest spiritual welfare, 
and our completest spiritual growth. 

There is another thought connected with the subject. 
We are apt to look upon the bodily senses as methods 
of expression only. We must also bear in mind, that 
they are methods of constraint likewise. We are 
sometimes fettered by the senses. We sometimes chafe 
against the power which holds us fast. Our souls 
sometimes cry out, " Would that I had wings like a 
dove, that I might fly away from this earthly scene." 
We seek to stretch beyond ourselves, and to rise up 
into a purer atmosphere and a more blessed state of 
being. But we soon find that such longings are vain. 
We earnestly seek to be free, and we are made, some- 



10 

times painfully, to feel that we are bound. If the 
senses sometimes afford us enjoyment, if they are also 
the instruments of our labor ; they are also sometimes 
our masters, and the enjoyment wliich they give is but 
the recreation which they furnish to alleviate our ser- 
vitude. We are subject to constraint here, and the 
hour of our freedom Is yet to come. Is It possible, then, 
that In the future life, we are to be bound by the same 
constraint, limited by the same force, confined by the 
same bonds ? The spirit struggling with difficulties 
and temptations here, hopes that its freedom hereafter 
will be for its glory and joy. But the spirit, which 
here conceals its iniquity and baseness, must be un- 
veiled hereafter, and left free to pursue its evil tenden- 
cies ; must pass through the ex])erience of shame and 
sorrow, for Its discipline and ])urIficatIon. Thus, the 
future life, either to satisfy our aspirations, or to cor- 
rect our wickedness, must be a Hie of freedom. 

Consider, once more, if you please, the fact that the 
spirits of just and good and true men — of saintly and 
excellent women departed — exercise an Influence upon 
the world after they have left their earthly state. We 
are encompassed with a " great cloud of witnesses." 
We are guided by unseen agencies. We are watched 
over by invisible beings. '' Are they not all minister- 
ing spirits ?" Every thoughtful man knows, that he is 
not living to and within himself alone. Every studious 
and devout reader of the Bible knows and feels, that 
there comes down to him, from those holy men of whom 
he reads, an influence to Instruct and elevate his life, — 
nay, he feels that they are a part of himself. Abraham, 
and Moses, and David and Isaiah, and the prophets of 
the olden time ; Christ, and the Evangelists and the 



11 

Apostles of the later time, live again in him and he 
holds sweet counsel with them over the inspired pages 
of the Divine Word ; he is purified and blest by their 
presence with him. There are saints and martyrs, too, 
and the brave and good of all ages, that come and 
teach us all to live as bravely and faithfully as they. 
When we read the biography of a good and great man, 
when we contemplate his character, what is it that 
touches us, and instructs us and lifts us up? What is 
it but the spirit of the departed that, for the time, con- 
verses with our spirits .? 

But, it is necessary to bear in mind, there is a certain 
experience, even in the present earthly life, which may 
well be called death. There is a species of deadness — 
there is a kind of burial, even while the body lives. 
The soul may be dead. The best part of human na- 
ture is buried beneath the worst part. Pure desires, 
holy aspirations, the spirit of prayer, the love of virtue, 
truth and God, may all be so weak as not to exhibit 
any signs of vitality, or life or power. Life seems to 
have departed from the soul. As a j)erson of feeble 
physical constitution succumbs to the power of disease, 
so one of feeble moral and spiritual nature falls beneath 
the attacks of sin. Or, it may be that the difficulties 
and troubles of this earthly life overpower and subdue 
the spirit. Faith and hope disappear. Virtue is but a 
dream, liberty a delusion, justice an impossibility, truth 
a vain and empty pretense. The soul dies within the 
body of doubt, disappointment and despair. 

We read, in the New Testament, of those who are 
" dead in trespasses and sins." There are, unquestion- 
ably, those whose evil propensities so predominate as 
to warrant the declaration, that they are naturally dis- 



12 

posed to wickedness. They seem to have a genius for 
crime. They are born with the stamp and stain of 
depravity upon their souls. Education, culture, asso- 
ciation, the power of law, of society, of public opinion, 
exercise all their influence in vain. The tendency is so 
deeply seated and ingrained Avithin the souls of such 
persons, as to pervert all their faculties. The mind is 
turned away from the truth. The conscience is dark- 
ened and cannot see the way of righteousness. The 
will is enervated for any act of goodness. But, on the 
other hand, the faculties of mind, soul and body are 
wonderfully active in the practice of evil. The pas- 
sions, appetites and desires are all turned towards the 
commission of sin. The mind sustains, the conscience 
approves the wrong. The will is almost irresistible in 
its power to carry to a horrible consummation the most 
criminal plans. Is not the soul, in such a case, dead ? 
Ignorance has oppressed it. Folly has ensnared it. 
Passion has strangled it. Sin has slain it. It is dead 
and buried in the grave of earthliness ! 

" The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God 
and they that hear shall live." There is a resurrection 
from the dead. The spirit freed from the body, hears 
the voice of the Son of God, and rises into newness of 
life. The spirit within the body hears that voice and 
lives. If weak, it is strengthened, as it feels the new and 
divine impulsion which is applied to it. Christ comes 
to the timid and trembling soul and gives it courage, 
vitality and power. His voice is a voice of comfort 
and encouragement to the struggling, doubting, des- 
pairing spirit. He helps it out of its difficulties, teaches 
it how to trust in God, awakens its hope, inspires its 
faith. It is the voice of Jesus, that animates the droop- 



13 

ing spirit and bids it live. To the soul dead in tres- 
passes and sins, it is a voice of warning, as the Son of 
God admonishes of the consequences of wrong-doing, 
and of "the second death," from which there is no res- 
urrection. It is a voice of persuasion and entreaty, as 
He calls the sinning soul back to its fluty and its love. 
It is even a voice of forgiveness and mercy, a voice full 
of pity and compassion — a voice ])laintive and sad as 
when a mother would woo a disobedient child back to 
its obedience. What benignity to the sinner breathes 
through the Gospel ! What freedom from a spirit of 
animosity or vengeance ! How willing is Jesus to 
receive, how ready is the Father to pardon the sinner 
returning tearful and penitent, to ask for forgiveness ! 
But will the soul that is dead in sin refuse to hear that 
voice, still prefer its error and sin, and still pursue its 
course of malevolence ? What then saith the Scrip- 
tures ? "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh ; 
for, if they escaped not who refused him that spake on 
earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away 
from Him that speaketh from Heaven." Ah ! let us 
rather believe, that "they that hear shall live" — that 
the Son of God will not speak in vain to the souls of 
guilty men ! 

In the hour of its resurrection, the soul rises into 
new and better life. It is freed from its weakness, its 
despair, its doubt, its sin. It takes upon itself strength, 
hope, goodness. It puts on the robes of righteousness, 
of joy, of peace. It forsakes the evil way, and walks 
thence forward in the paths of virtue. It comes out 
of the darkness into God's exceedinii: llti^ht, the beautiful 
day of the divine love. It gives up its own wiUfiiil pur- 
poses, and surrenders itself wholly to the will Q.f God^ 



14 

Its weakness is gone. The clouds that were about it 
have dispersed. Dead to sin, it is alive unto God. 
Then, indeed, it truly lives, for it has heard the one 
all-animating voice ! 

The truth of the spiritual resurrection which I have 
endeavored to illustrate, and to Avhich I have turned 
your thoughts, as most fitting to this occasion, is the 
only sure source of consolation in tlie hour of bereave- 
ment. There is some essence of life, in a good and 
true man or woman, which cannot die. The frail body, 
overcome by disease, overtaken by accident, overborne 
and destroyed by the blow of open hatred, or the secret 
assassination, must be always subject to death. But 
the spirit that dwells within the body for a time, can- 
not die. It rises out of the grave. It is not subject to 
death, neither, indeed, can be. Separated from the 
body, it enters into heavenly life and heavenly blessed- 
ness. It puts on its heavenly garments, and in the 
courts above, dwells forever free from the accidents, 
misfortunes, pains and troubles of the earthly life. It 
still lives, moreover, in the world. It still diffuses its 
influence amonoj all the communities of men. It broods 
over the hearts and souls of those who still remain upon 
the earth, and gives to their lives a blessing whose 
Talue they may not be able to estimate. There can be 
no death to virtue. It may be subject to great perse- 
cution, it may fall by the hands of traitors, it may be 
carried to the cross. But it is the body only that can 
become the object of such indignities. The tortures of 
persecution, the sword of violence, the agony of the 
cross, only affect the body. The spirit rises above all 
such enmities and violence, and, with ever renewed 
strength, goes out into the world of living men, and 



15 

moves tlirough all ranks and conditions, with its benef- 
icent impulses and insi)irations. From the scaffold 
where the champion of liberty lies bleeding and lifeless, 
proceeds a voice which rouses the nations to a better 
manhood. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the 
Church of God. The cross, to which the hands of 
cruel men affixed the innocent Christ, becomes the 
symbol of the world's redemption. Have any of tlie 
champions of human freedom died? Is the martyr, 
who was slain for the Word of God and the testimony 
which he bore, without life ? Is Jesus dead ? Do they 
not all live more forcefully in the spiritual power which 
they exercise ? And is not the Christ with His disci- 
ples, even unto the end of the world? 

In what other words than these could I speak to you 
this morning? From what other source could I seek 
consolation for the terrible affliction which has come 
upon us ? "^ The intelligence of yesterday struck us all 
ao-hast. The crime of assassination, we had thought, 
was a stranger to the American mind and conscience. 
When it was committed, and our kind, humane, beloved 
ruler was the victim, we were shocked and stunned into 
silence. The blow, which was so fatal to the President, 
seemed to shatter our own hearts. How willingly would 
we have died, if he could have been spared. Why 
Divine Providence should have permitted such an 
atrocious deed, we cannot tell. Why this man, on 
whom we have so much and so trustfully depended, in 
whom we have confided so completely, and under whose 
guidance we had hoped, by the blessing of God, to 
witness a national resurrection, — why he, above all 
others, should thus be selected so unerringly for the 
sacrifice, — we do not know. Words are powerless to 



16 

express our grief. Our loyal communities weep copious 
tears. We had learned to love him so well, — we had 
learned to, look through the ungraceful form, feature, 
bearing and utterance, to the noble, beautiful, honest, 
true and graceful soul within ; he seemed so important 
to us and so necessary for the national welfare, that we 
cannot, even now, endure to think that he is dead. Are 
we evermore to be deprived of the wisdom of his coun- 
sels ? Shall we no longer be guided by that shrewd, 
sagacious, honest, truthful intellect ? Are we no more 
to feel the tranquillizing influence of his calm, tender, 
cheerful, humane heart ? We ask each other, — we ask 
ourselves almost in fear : What next shall we do ? To 
whom shall we <j,o ? Who will lead us throuo-h the 
mazes of the future ? What mind so stable for justice, — 
what heart so fixed in its love of liberty, will now direct 
us ? What soul so reverent and so strong in its faith 
in God and His truth, will now teach us the way of 
national salvation? Had we been among the disciples 
of Jesus, the day after the crucifixion, we should have 
heard them discoursing in tones of sorrow which could 
not be comforted. For their hope, their love, their all 
was gone. What darker day than that could have 
dawned upon the world ? But the third day was 
brighter. * The resurrection morning came, and the 
Eternal Father taught the disciples then, as He has 
been teaching the whole race of man since — as He is 
teaching us now — that truth and nobleness and justice 
cannot die ; that the Christ has risen ; that the Son of 
God had a voice that could call the dead to life. We 
seek our comfort from the same source. There must 
also be a day of resurrection for us. The truth of 
Christ and of God cannot fail, and we must patiently 



17 

wait the development of the Divine plans. The disci- 
ples waited, and they were rewarded by an increase of 
power. The church has waited for these many centu- 
ries, and the church has been blessed beyond compare. 
We, too, must Avait in patience and faith, until God 
shall indicate His will. 

It is impossible, to-day, to speak at length of the 
character of Mr. Lincoln. The estimate which we are 
to make of it must be formed in some calmer hour than 
the present. I can only sketch, in brief, the outline 
which, on some subsequent occasion, I will endeavor to 
fill. During my absence from you, in the early days 
of the war, I enjoyed the privilege of seeing Mr. Lin- 
coln almost daily. He was a frequent visitor in our 
camp, and we were enabled to observe his character in 
its most familiar aspects. He walked about among the 
soldiers in the freest manner, and with a kind word for 
every one whom he met. I saw him at graver times. 
On the Tuesday after the battle of Bull Eun, he visited 
our quarters, in company with Mr. Seward, to hear the 
story of our regiment, to inspect its condition, to ex- 
amine its Hag rent with the bullets of the foe, and to 
inquire into the losses which we had suffered. As he lis- 
tened to the tale, his grave face grew graver still, and it 
seemed as though he felt the affliction as a personal 
bereavement, so warm was his sympathy, so sincere his 
sorroAV. A man of the people himself, he fully appre- 
ciated the sacrifices which the people were making for 
himself and the country. He had reached, in despite 
of the most unpropitious circumstances, the highest 
position within the attainment of an American citizen. 
Yet his elevation had detracted not a whit from his 
simplicity. Undaunted by failures, unspoiled by suc- 
• ,2* 



18 

cesses, he passed through all fortunes, and, at the 
height of his glory, still simple, unaffected and sincere, 
he has died without a stain. His heart was aifectionate, 
generous, magnanimous and trusty. His mind was 
clear, perspicuous and exact. Honest and guileless, 
just and truthful, he went forward on his course of 
duty, if slowly, always surely. He has conducted our 
public affairs through difficulties from which the most 
experienced statesman might well shrink, and with a 
success of which the ablest might be proud. He has 
exhibited a caution and a courage, a skill and wisdom 
which the impatient and the unwise could not compre- 
hend till they witnessed the permanent results which 
he had wrought out. He has been subjected to slander, 
ridicule, misrepresentation and calumny of tlie meanest 
and most malignant kind — making no answer — till, by 
his patient continuance in well-doing, he has outlived all 
the slanders of his foes, and has proved, by a complete 
triumph, the honesty of his intentions, the wisdom of 
his plans, the firmness of his purposes, and the ability 
.of his performance. A'N^ithal, he has shown such loyalty 
to liberty, such devotion to the rights of his humblest 
fellow-citizens, such love of justice, such faith in truth 
and such trust in God, as to attract and command the 
esteem and love of all the loyal people of the Republic 
and the friends of freedom throughout the world. All 
classes and conditions of men unite in paying homage 
to his excellence. 

Amidst the lamentation of the hour, one or two 
thoughts become prominent. The first is this : — Mr. 
Lincoln has died for the sake of a great, true and just 
princl[)le. He has been " slain for the word of God 
and the testimony which he held." He stands, forever- 



19 

more, before the eyes of mankind, as one of the chief 
martyrs of freedom — chief among those whose life blood 
has been licked up by the flames or devoured by the 
sword. It is for his unswerving devotion to the cause 
of his country's deliverance, and to the liberty of all 
within its borders — for his genuine, unselfish patriot- 
ism and humanity, that his life has been wrenched away 
from him. Plow false and foolish the words of the 
murderer : " Sic sei7iper tyraiinis I " " Thus always 
to tyrants I" He was the farthest possible from being 
a tyrant. No man was ever so free from a love of des- 
potic power. Up to the very last moment, his mind 
was given to thoughts of pacification, and plans for the 
welfare of those who madly and wickedly sought to 
take his life. He loved justice indeed, and he endeav- 
ored to do justice. But he loved mercy no less. He 
has done all that he could to remove the foul stigma 
which slavery has put upon the Republic. He has 
ever been the faithful friend of the oppressed. We 
thank God, that he has been spared so long, and that 
he has done so much for the welfare of those who were 
ready to perish — that he has done his work with such 
perfect fidelity. He has been the redeemer of an 
entire race of men. The people whom he redeemed 
felt a gratitude of which we scarcely know. They 
rejoiced in him. They trusted in him, as no man was 
ever trusted before. They thought that he could do 
everything, for had he not already wrought miracles in 
their behalf? He did not disappoint them. With 
unpretending goodness, he struck off their chains, in- 
voking upon the solemn act of Emancipation, "The 
considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious 
favor of Almighty God." 



20 

They were not unmindful of tlie gift which they 
received. You remember what was the character of 
the President's reception at Richmond — how those 
enfranchised people thronged his steps, calling down 
blessings upon his name, with tears of joy streaming- 
down their swarthy cheeks, and praises to God burst- 
ing from their grateful lips. In their eyes, the homely 
features of the President were transfigured, and they 
hailed him as a Messiah — a man really sent from God. 
If they had had palm branches, they would have strown 
them in the way, and shouted " Hosanna !" The last 
time I saw Mr. Lincoln, was about a year ago, when I 
stood by his side, as the 9th corps passed in review 
before him, on its way to the Virginian campaign. 
In that corps was a division of colored regiments — 
nearly six thousand men — the first colored troops that 
had ever passed through Washington. As those sol- 
diers caught sight of the tall man who, with head un- 
covered, witnessed their march, a spirit of wild enthusi- 
asm ran through their ranks. They shouted, they 
cheered, they swung their caps, in the exuberance of 
their joy. The good President looked smilingly on, 
courteously acknowledging their expressions of affec- 
tionate respect. They were now freemen. They had 
a glorious object to live for. They would now make a 
history for their race, and there was the man who had 
done it all for them ! That was a sight at which many 
eyes grew moist and dim. To no persons in all the 
country, will the tidings of his death cause a sincerer 
and profounder sorrow, than to the freedmen and their 
families. His enfranchised spirit goes up to the gates 
of Heaven with the blessings of those who were ready 
to perish, as his passport to the realms of eternal bliss. 



21 

His memory will be clierished among the simple- 
hearted people whom he has freed, as the memory of 
a sainted benefactor. He will live in the grateful 
remembrance of mankind, as the ruler of the Ameri- 
can Republic, who, in the day of compromises, stood 
faithful to justice ; in the day of treason, was always 
loyal to liberty ; and, in the day of national distress, 
preserved his country from destruction and saved 
her from the sin of slavery ! We read what he says 
in his inaugural address, with a sorrowful interest : — 
" Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this 
mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, 
if God wills, that it continue until all the wealth piled 
up by the bondman's two hundred and fifty years of 
unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of 
blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another 
drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years 
ago, so still it must be said, ' The judgments of the 
Lord are true and riohteous altoo-ether.' " How little 
did he think, how little did we think, that, in the dawn- 
ing of the day of peace, his sacrifice — the blood of the 
innocent — should be the culmination of the woe we 
were to suffer. Yet, if ever he did think of it, there 
can be no question, that he was ready— entirely ready, 
always ready — for that sacrifice. If it were necessary 
that he should die for the people, whom he had deliv- 
ered, he was fully prepared. He could say, with St. 
Paul : " Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and 
service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." 

The second thought upon this painful theme is this : 
The sacrifice assures the victory of freedom. Hence- 
forward, the cause of the rebels is stripped of all dis- 
o;uises and shows itself the monstrous, vile, loathsome, 



22 

crime that it really is. There can be no sympathy 
now, amono' reasonable or humane men, with a cause 
which seeks such instruments and perpetrates such 
iniquity. " A struggle for independence " is now 
proved to be only a name for cold-blooded murder and 
midnio^ht assassination. Amono; our own communities, 
it is deprived of every vestige of support, except from 
those who rejoice in blood. The abettors of the rebel- 
lion, — wherever they may be, whoever they may be, — 
hereafter become accessories of this great crime, and 
are to be so marked, by a just and indignant people. 
In the nations across the sea, also, the cause of the re- 
bellion must sink beneath the execrations of the civilized 
world. The most hardened and the most prejudiced of 
the allies of despotism in Europe are not yet prepared 
to sympathize with such an enormity of wickedness. 
The barbarism of slavery, in striking this blow, — for 
this is the power which is behind all this war, and 
bloodshed and murder, — has committed suicide. The 
cause of the South is doomed to be forever, after this, 
the horror of the human race. 

Yes, my friends, the sacrifice assures the victory of 
justice. It has been so in the past. Many and many 
a time has the cause of liberty and truth seemed to 
depend upon a single man's life. Yet, when that life 
has been extinguished, the cause has still gone forward 
to triumph. The spirit of the martyred statesman, 
leader, soldier of freedom, has still breathed upon those 
who remain, and they have girded up their loins with 
renewed energy and a more resolute determination, and 
the invisible power of the great man departed, has led 
them on to victory. Encompassed with dangers, Mr. 
Lincoln has been spared by divine mercy, to witness 



23 

the triumph of a portion of his great plans, and to have 
the assurance of greater triumphs stilL He has led us, 
as Moses led his delivered countrymen, to the very 
border of the promised land. He caught a sight of the 
glory, but was not permitted to enter in and enjoy it. 
It Is a terrible calamity. But Divine Providence Is 
always wise and good. I can recall no parallel in re- 
cent history, more striking than the death of WllUam 
of Nassau, Prince of Orange. The people of the Neth- 
erlands, in the 16th century, accepted the Protestant 
principles of the Eeformers. They wished to be free 
from the dominion of a despotic church. Philip H, of 
Spain, bigoted, cruel and tyrannical, endeavored to force 
upon these people, then under his jurisdiction, the 
accursed institution of the Inquisition. The people 
revolted against such an attempt to deprive them of 
their religious liberties. William was their great leader, 
and, by his wise administration as a statesman, his 
bravery and skill as a soldier, he succeeded in baffling 
the plans of the despotic Philip, and of securing, in 
part, the independence of his country. In 1580, Philip 
offered a larire reward for his assassination. Several 
attempts were made upon his life, which were unsuc- 
cessful, till at last, on the 10th of July, 1584, he was 
shot dead. In his house at Delft, a short time after din- 
ner, as he was passing from the dining room to an 
adjoining staircase. The assassin was soon captured, 
and executed. The character of William was that of a 
great deliverer, and had many traits strikingly similar 
to that of Mr. Lincoln. Silent as to his plans, he car- 
ried them forward with unwearied constancy. Exact, 
practical and just, he was steady in the pursuit of the 
chief object of his life. He was fearless in spirit, saga- 



24 

cious in mind, quick in perception, but cautious in 
maturing results. He was constant in disaster, hope- 
ful in defeat, magnanimous in victory. He had a rare 
faculty in managing men, and a rare honesty in 
regulating himself. He was eloquent as a speaker, 
" sometimes impassioned, oftener argumentative, al- 
ways rational." So able, upright and truthful was he, 
that '' there was always a hope, even in the darkest 
hour, for men felt implicit reliance, as well on his intel- 
lectual resources as on his integrity." " His tempera- 
ment was cheerful. In his hours of relaxation, he was 
always animated and merry, and this jocoseness was 
partly natural, partly intentional. In the darkest hours 
of his country's trial, he aflPected a serenity which he 
was far from feeling, so that his apparent gaiety, at 
momentous epochs, was even censured by dullards, 
who could not comprehend its philosophy nor applaud 
the flippancy of William the Silent." Unaffectedly 
pious and fearless, he took little or no precautions 
against danger. " God, in his mercy," he said, " will 
maintain my innocence and my honor, during my life, 
and in future ages. As to my fortune and my life, I 
have dedicated both, long since, to His service. He 
will do therewith what pleases Him, for his glory and 
my salvation." Such a man, the " Father William " 
of his people, fell by the hand of a hired assassin. 
" But the victory was to the dead hero, not to the liv- 
ing monarch." William, says the historian, " was a 
conqueror in the loftiest sense, for he conquered liberty 
and a national existence for a whole people." A nation, 
deprived of its beloved head, mourned as those who 
were bereft of hope. Yet, the cause for which he 
died was not thus defeated. The spirit of WilHtan, 



25 

having a glorious resurrection, led on his country — the 
" United States of the Netherlands " — to the heights of 
national greatness. It became, in after years, " the first 
naval power and one of the most considerable common- 
wealths in the world." Mr. Lincoln — the " Father 
Abraham " of our affections — pursued by the same ma- 
lignant hate, has fallen in the same holy cause, has 
achieved the same glorious triumph. " Liberty and a 
national existence for a whole people " are now assured 
to us by this great sacrifice. The week which we 
began with rejoicing, ends in gloom. But, out of the 
gloom ariseth the light of the resurrection morning. 
The dead shall live. The voice of the Son of God 
calls us all to life. The national resurrection comes 
through this great sacrifice. 

Yes, a national resurrection ! For this great aflflic- 
tion, with those seasons of sorrow through which we 
have before time passed, is for our purification as a 
people. We have slumbered in times past. The na- 
tion seemed dead. It had no great word to speak, no 
great work to do, for the welfare of the human race. 
The Union as it was, existing and enlarging itself for 
the strengthening of slavery, was the natural body, in 
which the spirit of liberty was gradually sinking to 
destruction. But Divine Providence does not permit a 
people to perish whose death would be a misfortune to 
mankind. The Son of God calls them up to life. The 
Divine Word is spoken. It will be heard. The nation 
is not dead, but sleepeth. It arouses itself at the voice 
which calls it unto life. Its eyes are opened. Its 
heart is quickened. Its mind is enlightened. Its con- 
science is vitalized. It begins to love justice and 
libsrty. It repents of its sins, and, inspired by the new 
3 



26 

power which it feels, it becomes the most potent instru- 
ment, in the hands of Divine Providence, for the 
enlio^htenment and elevation of the human race. What 
magnificent achievements it then aspires to I What 
greatness it becomes capable of ! What virtue it seeks 
to practice ! It has become free from its old body of 
sin, and lives henceforth to righteousness and God. 

This, then, is our day of resurrection, my brethren. 
The Union as it is to be, existing and enlarging itself 
for liberty, is the spiritual body which we, as a nation, 
are to put on. We have come back to life, — not the 
old worldly, selfish, cowardly life, that once we had, 
but — to a brave, generous, just and true life, full of 
vigor and full of promise for the future. We have, 
indeed, been smitten and chastised. The heart of the 
Republic has wept even tears of blood. The best and 
bravest have been given up. The noblest man of our 
American Democracy has been stricken down. Slavery 
and treason had clothed the Republic with cerements 
for its burial. We have cast them aside, and are put- 
ting on the garments of salvation. Surely all this 
experience cannot be for naught. It cannot come and 
go and leave no trace behind. These habiliments of grief, 
these sorrowful countenances, these tearful eyes, are 
not the hollow manifestations of a people's ostentatious 
woe. They are the sincere expressions of our sorrow. 
They are also the pledges of our future fidelity to the 
memory of him whom we mourn, and to the principles 
which he practised. We can take no step backward. 
Our present ruler can take no step backward. Inau- 
gurated into office under such solemn auspices, he will 
not retreat from the grand career which now opens 



27 

before him. We all hear the voice of the Son of God 
speaking to our souls. We hear and live ! 

I have only this more to say, dear friends, we must 
consecrate ourselves anew to the principles for which 
our President has died. The truths which he has lived 
to illustrate and died to seal, are the truths for which a 
greater than he has lived and died. Pledging our cor- 
dial support to his successor, let us go forward in the 
course, which the illustrious dead would have us pursue. 
The end is not doubtful, if we are still faithful to him 
and to ourselves, if we are still trustful in our God. 
Let us be comforted in our sorrow, and believe that 
there is a day coming to us — a great and notable and 
glorious day of the Lord — a day of national resurrec- 
tion, when we shall come forth and live in newness of 
spirit, a just and free and righteous people, for the well- 
being of the world. Again, I recall the words of the 
inaugural address — fitting words to be spoken on the 
verge of the unseen grave that was opening before him 
who spoke : " With malice towards none, with charity 
for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to 
see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are 
in ; to bind up the nation's wounds ; to care for him 
who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and 
orphans ; to do all which may achieve and cherish a 
just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all 
nations." O day of resurrection ! shine in upon our 
souls for our strength and peace forever ! 



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